Day 2 - The Amazing Spirit Baptized Experience
The second amazing experience God wants every Christian to have is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being born again is one thing; being baptized by the Holy Spirit is another.
The disciples were converted to Jesus, but they were powerless before the day of Pentecost. So Jesus commanded them to wait in prayer until they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. . . . But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ ” (Acts 1:4-8).
“Now when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).”
The experience of being baptized by the Spirit gave great power to the disciples’ teaching and preaching. Three thousand accepted Jesus and were baptized in water following Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.
When a Christian receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he/she will be empowered to serve God more effectively and reveal Christ more fully in his/her life. Of this Ellen White wrote:
“Impress upon all the necessity of the baptism of the will be living, growing, fruit-bearing trees of the Lord’s planting” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 86).
In order for Christians to grow spiritually, they must daily experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Ellen White wrote of Jesus’ recognition of this vital truth:
“Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 139).
The apostle Paul actually commands the Christian to “keep on” being filled with the Spirit, which must be a daily experience:
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).
The Greek verb form for “be filled” is “keep on being filled,” a continuous action verb. Spirit baptism is not a one-time experience. It is to be a daily experience in the Christian’s life.
If you have never asked God to baptize you with His Spirit, I invite you to do so now by praying the following prayer: “Father, I thank You for leading me to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I ask You to forgive me for all my sins. I desire to commit my life 100 percent to Jesus. I claim the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my life right now. Father, fill me with Your Spirit and manifest in me every fruit of the Spirit. I pray that You will so infill me with the presence of Jesus that His character will be fully manifested through me. I claim Your promise to empower me by Your Spirit to serve You as You lead me into ministry for Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Personal Reflection and Discussion
1. What did Jesus ask the disciples to wait for before they went forth to witness for Him?
2. What did the baptism of the Holy Spirit do in the lives of the disciples?
3. Why did Ellen White say we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
4. How often did Jesus seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and why?
5. How often should the Christian seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Why is this important?
Prayer Activity
• Call your prayer partner and discuss this devotional with him/her.
• Pray with your prayer partner:
1. for God to baptize you with His Holy Spirit.
2. for God to manifest the fruits of the Spirit in your life.
4. for God to manifest the gifts of the Spirit in your life that He has chosen for you.
5. for the individuals on your prayer list.”
Excerpt From: Dennis Smith. “40 Days.”